Roaccutane

I thought I would share my experience of using this drug with you.  Roaccutane is a very strong drug and is used as a cure for acne.  I remember what exactly the dermatologist I went to see at London Bridge hospital said to me on my first visit when he prescribed me this drug.   He said that nothing else in this world, not any skin lotion, potion or any other medication would help my acne and that the only thing that would, was roaccutane.  This is because the medication works from within.  Sure creams and lotions would sometimes help dry out a spot or soothe the redness at times but my acne would always come back and I hated it.  I remember first getting acne at 11, always suffered with it, it would come in bouts, sometimes manageable but other times it would make me cry and I would plaster foundation over myself in a bid to try and cover up.  I had a horrible bout which occurred mainly on my jaw line and neck in the summer of 2008 and a friend from work suggested I go and see this Dr Creamer at London Bridge Hospital - still makes me laugh a dermatologist called Dr Creamer ha ha.  He took one look at my skin and told me I needed roaccutane.  I was on the drug for approximately a year and a half and I think I have had one spot since.  It worked and gave me the confidence to go bare faced and allowed me not to feel like shit at times when looking in the mirror.

The side effects were at times unpleasant, such as redness, sore eyes, chapped lips, you can't lie out in the sun and I suffered nosebleeds.  All sounds pretty horrific, but this is a strong drug, it is also a controversial drug, but it worked and I'm fine.  Bizarrely I feel as though it has changed my genetic make up as in I tan really easily now - but I have no evidence that this is linked to the drug - perhaps its just a coincidence.  I see people in the street with severe acne and I feel like going up to them and saying - you know there is something you can do about it!!!! I hadn't heard of it until a friend told me about it and since then I have had two friends that have been prescribed it and again complete 100% success stories - especially the male friend whose skin was completely transformed in a month!!! Mine took longer than that.

I'm not a doctor obviously, but just wanted to share with you something that finally helped me, but medication is a personal decision but just wanted to let people know its out there in case you know of anyone or you yourself suffer and think there's nothing that can help you.

A GP cannot prescribe this drug, only a dermatologist - go through the NHS, not privately like I did cos I was whacked with a £200 prescription bill each month.

Happy to elaborate further if anyone has any questions.

Also one other thing I'd like to say is that I never thought I had severe acne as in it completely covered my face, most of the time I could hide it and get away with it but even if you get a few spots these could actually be cysts which I actually had - so you're normal acne medication i.e. antibiotics that a GP might prescribe you didn't work.   The point I'm saying is, if you're unhappy with your skin and keep having recurring problems best you ask to be referred to a dermatologist.  

You need to be happy in your own skin  - inside and out right?


P.S. Don't listen to anyone who says it's because of your diet or this or that, that's crap.  My friend is an Ironman athlete and has represented Australia in swimming - you can't get a more healthier person and she had one of the worse cases of spots/cysts I had ever seen.

You can read more here: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100002288.html